An off-duty Chicago firefighter died Sunday morning while swimming in Lake Michigan at 31st Street Beach, according to the Chicago Fire Department.

       Fire Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt said the firefighter was swimming with his family off the lakefront when he went underwater about 7:30 a.m. Crews quickly located the man and pulled him out of the water before performing advanced life support.

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       He was transported to University of Chicago Medical Center and pronounced dead at 9:07 a.m., according to the Fire Department and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. The Fire Department identified the firefighter as Engineer EMT Wilbert Hayes, 43. Nance-Holt said he’s been on the job since 2009.

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       “The loss of any of our members is a loss for the first responder community and the city as a whole,” Nance-Holt said.

       She added that while the incident happened while the firefighter was off-duty, the Fire Department is conducting “a full investigation to determine the status of this tragic loss.”

       Firefighters, police officers and paramedics led a procession Sunday afternoon to pay tribute to Hayes while his body was transported to the medical examiner’s office.

       rjohnson@chicagotribune.com

       Originally Published: Jul 30, 2023 at 2:43 pm